The Western States Scientific Safety Review Working Group has approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Sunday.
The vaccine won emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday and its first shipments are expected to arrive in Washington this week. The Moderna vaccine is the second to receive FDA approval and the working group is made up of vaccine experts from Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.
“I am pleased that the Western States Working Group made the unanimous recommendation for the Moderna vaccine today and are encouraging the immediate use of the vaccine in our states,” Inslee said in a press release. “Getting two vaccines to fight COVID-19 will help us get rid of this pandemic. ”
The working group was set up to review any closely distributed vaccines with the addition of another series of independent reviews.
The Moderna vaccine is easier to handle than the previously agreed Pfizer vaccine, which is already in use, as it does not require storage at ultra-freezing temperatures.
“We still need to be very vigilant in taking care of each other so that the vaccine is widely available, which will be several months from now,” Inslee said in the news. “We need to keep hiding, physical distance and not gathering with friends and family, especially during this holiday season. Our disease activity is still high, and we need to work together to keep each other safe. ”